<p class="poetry">he sets<n id="1" /> the lowly<n id="2" /> on high,p> <p class="poetry">that those who mourn<n id="3" /> are raised<n id="4" /> to safety.p>

<p class="poetry">They<n id="1" /> are dark<n id="2" /> because of ice;p> <p class="poetry">snow is piled<n id="3" /> up over them.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">The sun and moon are darkened;p> <p class="poetry">the stars withhold<n id="1" /> their brightness.p>

<p class="poetry">I go about blackened,<n id="1" /> but not by the sun;p> <p class="poetry">in the assembly I stand up and cry for help.p>

<p class="poetry">I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I bowed down<n id="2" /> in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">My heart is crushed because my dear people<n id="1" /> are being crushed.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I go about crying and grieving. I am overwhelmed with dismay.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I am dazed<n id="1" /> and completely humiliated;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">all day long I walk around mourning.p>

<p class="poetry">I will pray<n id="1" /> to God, my high ridge:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Why do you ignore<n id="3" /> me?p> <p class="poetry">Why must I walk around mourning<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">because my enemies oppress me?&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">For you are the God who shelters me.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Why do you reject me?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Why must I walk around<n id="3" /> mourning<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">because my enemies oppress me?p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;The people of Judah are in mourning.p> <p class="poetry">The people in her cities are pining away.p> <p class="poetry">They lie on the ground expressing their sorrow.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Cries of distress come up to me<n id="2" /> from Jerusalem.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The earth quakes<n id="1" /> before them;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the sky reverberates.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">The sun and the moon grow dark;p> <p class="poetry">the stars refuse to shine.<n id="4" />p>

Meanwhile the sky was covered with dark clouds, the wind blew, and there was a heavy rainstorm. Ahab rode toward<n id="1" /> Jezreel.

<p class="poetry">Because of this the land will mournp> <p class="poetry">and the sky above will grow black.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For I have made my purpose known<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and I will not relent or turn back from carrying it out.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">When I extinguish you, I will cover the sky;p> <p class="poetry">I will darken its stars.p> <p class="poetry">I will cover the sun with a cloud,p> <p class="poetry">and the moon will not shine.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will darken all the lights in the sky over you,p> <p class="poetry">and I will darken your land,p> <p class="poetry">declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">Therefore night will fall, and you will receive no visions;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">it will grow dark, and you will no longer be able to read the omens.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The sun will set on these prophets,p> <p class="poetry">and the daylight will turn to darkness over their heads.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: On the day it<n id="1" /> went down to Sheol I caused observers to lament.<n id="2" /> I covered it with the deep and held back its rivers; its plentiful water was restrained. I clothed Lebanon in black for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it.